At Mandala we’re conducting a range of research projects across Birmingham to investigate how the food system is changing right now, and how it could change in the future. We’re checking in on these projects through a series of short films – Stories from a Changing Food System – produced by Good Stories in Food.
Our new film profiles our research with Birmingham Children’s Hospital, who are taking a new approach to hospital catering that’s good for the planet as well as patients. The hospital’s catering and dietitians have been redesigning menus to cut their environmental impact while maintaining, even improving, nutritional quality and appeal to young patients.
The project takes a co-design approach, bringing together hospital staff, caterers, and experience from other areas such as schools and early years settings to test and refine evidence-based changes. These include reducing animal protein and increasing plant-based ingredients, without removing the familiar dishes children enjoy.
Mandala researchers are evaluating the impact of the new menus on both carbon emissions and patient satisfaction, with findings intended to help to inform wider public-sector food reform across schools, hospitals, and other institutions.